The Langham Hotel: Perfect for a Languid Melbourne
Weekend
Gazing down the Yarra River from the giddy heights
of the Club Floor of the Langham Hotel is just the ticket
for a sophisticated Melbourne sojourn.
Rising high above Southbank with its river promenade street
entertainers, the elegant Langham Hotel boasts spectacular city
views.
Look
to the west and urban dwellers in swanky Docklands apartments
peer into the open roof of the modern Telstra Stadium. Look to the east, beyond the
striking Federation Square architecture and the distant Dandenongs
dominate the horizon while in the foreground commuter trains rush
through the suburbs. Look to
the south and the Botanic Gardens are seemingly on fire with autumn
shades ranging from pale orange to vivid scarlets that clash with the
towering pines guarding the Shrine of Remembrance. And all the while the city trams
rumble and clang along their tracks, disgorging passengers on
every corner.
Checking into the Langham Hotel is a bit like
walking into a Conde Nest Travel magazine. Perhaps not surprising,
considering the number of awards the readers of this magazine have
heaped on the Langham. This is a seriously glamorous hotel with
traditionally elegant touches.
From the carved marble staircase and sparkling chandeliers, the
heavily marbled foyer is a precursor to the luxury found throughout
the hotel.
I am
in a Corner Club Deluxe Suite, which turns out to be larger than most
city apartments I have lived in.
Although the embossed wallpaper feels a little ‘chintzy’ for my
personal taste, there is no mistaking the understated elegance. The
guest powder room is convenient if we decide to entertain guests and
the mini bar stocked with real tea and teapot is a welcome start to
languid mornings with the newspaper.
Floor to ceiling windows offer a mesmerising vista, both at
street level and high up here on the 20th floor.
The bathroom is all marble and sparkling glass and
mirrors. It is enormous, and
there are twin shower heads, the ‘tumbling waterfall’ kind that seem
to have disappeared as the drought forces us to shower beneath a fine
mist. But it is the immense
bath that immediately grabs my attention and I make full use of the
generously sized Chuan Spa toiletries.
Imagining a
languid weekend alternating between the crisply starched linen of the
Langham signature blissful bed and the queen sized bath, I’m tempted
to put up the Do Not Disturb sign and order dinner from the enticing
room service menu. But my
partner isn’t having it. We
haven’t flown down from our Hamilton Island home in order to hole up
in a hotel room, idly surfing the ridiculous number of channels on the
flat screen TV, he advises me firmly. Which is astounding in itself
given that we're so close to the MCG I can almost smell the pummeled
Sherin leather. Given his penchant for AFL combined with the distinct
lack of coverage in north QLD and I'm expecting him to be dragged away
kicking and screaming, but he too is excited about Melbourne
nightlife. So the king sized
bed will just have to wait.
The
lights of Southbank beckon and, after calling into the Club Lounge for
complimentary aperitifs, we step out into a lingering Melbourne
twilight for dinner. With so
many temptations, it is such a tough decision, that we opt to not make
any at all and instead end up on a self styled degustation meander
that takes us to various venues offering tapas style delights.
As
befitting a hotel associated with The Leading Hotels of the World, the
Langham boasts 45 suites in over 300 well appointed guest rooms,
almost all with stunning city views.
There’s wireless Internet access, laptop sized in-room safe
deposit boxes, plush robes and slippers. The highly acclaimed Chuan Spa
offers rejuvenating treatments that bring together traditional Chinese
medicine, massage and aromatherapy.
Southbanks new rival Docklands has become an
enticing waterfront alternative with a plethora of funky bars and
restaurants, many that seemingly transform themselves as the day wears
on. On weekends the promenades
buzz from early morning with apartment dwellers, joggers and dog
walkers stopping by to get their caffeine fix. By late morning the ’long lunch’
crowd starts filling the alfresco tables, as the people watchers
become the watched. As the
apartment building shadows displaces the suns late afternoon warmth,
the evening crowd arrives looking for hip and moody dining
alternatives.
The
enticing thing about a weekend in Melbourne is that there are just so
many enticements beyond a luxurious Langham Hotel room, that I was
never going to be allowed to just wallow amongst the starched linen
like a beached whale. I did
however ensure that I enjoyed Melbournes renowned nightlife just long
enough to ensure plenty of time to admire the opulence of my Club
Room.
Checklist
Langham Hotel, One Southgate Ave Southbank
Victoria.
Phone (03) 8696 8888
www.langhamhotels.com
Tariff
Rooms from $310; Club Rooms from $380 per night.
Tariff may rise during major events such as the Australian
Open and Grand Prix.
Stepping Out
Docklands and the Telstra Dome is about a half
hour walk in one direction, The Botanic Gardens are about 30 minutes
in the other direction.
Sporting fans can easily walk to the MCG or the Tennis
Centre.
Melbourne CBD is a 5
minute walk across the Yarra River.
Getting Around
Trams are the best way to get around Melbourne:
they run regularly, go almost everywhere, and are inexpensive (just
make sure you buy a ticket from the on board machine).
We Adore
Attentive staff who make an effort to use guest
names.
We Abhor
It's
hardly a grumble, but if I must nominate an annoyance: my morning Age
newspaper didn't arrive in the morning.
